Planning a group event or meeting? Avoid the awkward silence and add an element of fun with one or more of these icebreaker activities!
2. The Envelope Please!
Group members list 10 facts about themselves on strips of paper and then put them in an envelope. The group leader reads the facts aloud, one by one, as other group members guess the person's identity.
3. People BINGO
Create bingo cards with a characteristic like "played a varsity sport" or "has at least three siblings" in each square. Everyone mingles and asks each other questions attempting to get a BINGO.
4. The TP Game
Pass a roll of toilet paper around the room and tell each person to take as much as they need. Then, for each square they took, they must share one fact about themselves.
5. 10 Things in Common
Divide into partners with instructions to discover 10 things that you have in common.
Organizing book club meetings and snacks with an online sign up. View an Example
7. Tall Tales
One person starts with "Once upon a time" and tells a small portion of a story. When the group leader buzzes arbitrarily to decide that time is up, the next person must continue the story.
8. Object Stories
This puts a spin on the Tall Tales game, and requires that each storyteller pulls an object out of a paper bag and quickly incorporates it into the story.
9. Who am I?
Group members get a nametag for a famous person, real or fictional, placed on their backs. As they mingle, they ask others "yes" or "no" questions, attempting to guess who they are.
10. Charades
It's a classic, and it always gets people laughing! You can even add a theme like "Movies," "Songs," or Books."
Organize a potluck with friends and neighbors with an online sign up. View an Example
12. Survival
Each person pulls a slip of paper, with one object written on it, out of a hat. Objects can be anything from a pizza to a pitchfork. Players then mingle, and try to form teams with others whose objects would help the team survive in the wilderness. The group leader listens to each team present their case on who has the best objects for survival and chooses the winning team.
13. Superhero Wars
Divide the room into two to four person teams. Each person must choose a fictional character such as Batman or Katniss, and take on his or her powers. Teams then go to battle - verbally, of course! The group leader decides which team of superheroes wins the war.
14. Random Talent Show
This can be a team or individual competition, with talents including anything from mime to moonwalking. The more random, the better!
15. Song Scramble
This icebreaker calls for the lyrics to several well-known songs to be written down and then cut into one-line strips. Each participant chooses a line, and then searches for others with lyrics to the same song. The first team to line up in lyrical order wins!
Recruit volunteers from your group with a sign up. View an Example
16. If you were a brand, what would your slogan be?
17. If you could be any animal, what would you be?
18. If you could have a conversation with any famous person, dead or alive, whom would you choose?
19. If you were given a million dollars that you had to spend in a week, what would you buy?
20. What was your favorite childhood game or activity?
21. What is your greatest fear?
22. What superpower do you wish you had?
23. What are your best talents?
24. What is your idea for the next great invention?
25. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
For more ideas, check out:
100 Getting to Know You Questions25 Icebreaker Activities for Adults
20 Quick Icebreakers for Meetings
100 Would You Rather Icebreakers for Youth Groups
Icebreakers are a quick way to help strangers become friends, peers, or coworkers. Whether the goal is working together or playing together, an icebreaker gets things started!
Stacey Whitney is the mother of two teenagers and owner of WordsFound, a content company.
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